Cut the Carbs
As we’ll talk about in more detail in your next visit, carbohydrates (particularly those in grains, sweets, and highly processed foods) encourage your body to store calories as fat—and to hold on to the calories that it has stored. They also can increase your risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
Interestingly (and contrary to popular belief), our bodies do not need carbohydrates to survive. Instead, our bodies are able to produce all the energy we need from protein and fat.
On the weight loss portion of JumpstartMD, you will be avoiding most carbohydrates. During the Lifestyle phase, you will work with your care providers to add back individualized quantities of carbohydrates to support your healthy, happy life.
The carbohydrates that are allowed during the weight loss portion are those that are less likely to promote weight gain: limited quantities of nutrient- dense, non-starchy vegetables (and, later on, certain fruits). In addition to not promoting weight gain, these foods contain fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients (beneficial compounds found in plants).
Recommended Nutrient Dense Carbs
- Alfalfa sprouts
- Bamboo shoots
- Bok choy
- Celery
- Endives
Greens (chicory, mustard, spinach, Swiss chard) - Lettuces (arugula, green and red leaf, frisee, radicchio, romaine, etc.)
- Mushrooms, raw
- Artichoke hearts
- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Bean sprouts Cucumber
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Brussel sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Eggplant
- Green beans
- Jicama
- Kale
- Leeks
- Mushrooms, cooked
- Okra
- Radishes
- Sauerkraut
- Snow peas
- Spaghetti squash
- Squash, summer (including zucchini)
- Tomatoes Turnips
Note: Onions are surprisingly high in carbohydrates and should be used sparingly.
Avoid Nutritionally Empty Carbs
Please eliminate high-carbohydrate foods from your pantry/ refrigerator/kitchen, and avoid eating them outside of your home.
At first it may be challenging to avoid these categories of food, since they are mainstays of the modern American diet. But please do your best: after a couple of weeks, your cravings will begin to fade. In fact, many people find that they go away completely.
- Buns
- Biscuits
- Bread
- Bulgur
- Cakes
- Cookies
- Cereal
- Chips
- Couscous
- Crackers
- Donuts
- Granola
- Granola bars
- Oatmeal
- Muffins
- Pasta
- Pastries
- Pie
- Popcorn
- Pretzels
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Tortillas
Avoid fruit for your first 3 weeks.
- Carrots (for now)
- Cassava / yuca
- Corn
- Parsnips
- Peas, green
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes / yams
- Winter squash (e.g. acorn, butternut)
- Agave nectar
- Carob
- Cane syrup, cane crystals, evaporated cane juice
- Corn syrup
- Syrup (maple, chocolate, cane, fruit`)
- Dextrin, dextrose
- Fructose
- Fruit syrup concentrate
- Glucose
- High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
- Honey
- Malt syrup, maltodextrin, maltose
- Molasses
- Rice syrup, brown rice syrup
- Sugar (white, brown, cane, invert, etc)
- Sucrose
- Candy, including sugar-free
- Chocolate Dates
- Ice cream
- Jelly/Jam
- Juice (all kinds, even if it says “no sugar added”)
- Non-diet soda
- Sorbet/Sherbet
- Yogurt, sweetened
- Yogurt, frozen
Note: Instead of telling yourself that you “can’t” eat these foods, experiment with describing yourself as someone who “doesn’t” eat these foods. Psychologists who specialize in behavior change have found that this slight shift (from a restriction to a personal definition) makes it much more likely that people will stick to their desired habits.
Alternative and Artificial Sweeteners
We recommend avoiding sweeteners in general because they can trigger cravings for more sweets and may throw off the bacterial balance in your gut in a way that could lead to weight gain and disease.
That said, if you can’t avoid sweeteners entirely, consider the following low glycemic options and limit to 1 – 2 servings per day.
- Allulose
- Monk fruit
- Stevia (pure form, not powder)
We do not recommend powdered artificial sweeteners that are mixed with “fillers” that contain sugars such as dextrin and maltodextrin.